Two options are on the table - one to have specialist services and a major trauma unit in Ashford, and the other to centralise east Kent hospital care with a sole A&E centre in Canterbury, which would see A&Es at the Harvey and QEQM close.

Mrs Firth, selected last month by Tory members to defeat Labour in the Canterbury constituency at the next general election, believes she can persuade Mr Johnson to support option two.

She is teaming up with Faversham MP Helen Whately and the pair say they will be pushing for a crunch-talk meeting with the new prime minister.

Mrs Firth believes she can eventually get all Kent MPs to point in the same direction and back the Canterbury bid.

Anna Firth says her top priority is the hospital bid for Canterbury

She told the Kentish Gazette last week: “I’m confident that once Helen and I have laid out the argument for Canterbury, other MPs will see the logic we are putting forward.”

But Mr Green, who has previously said he is “strongly against” any proposals to move the A&E away from the William Harvey, says he will “continue to oppose the mad proposal”.

He added he can “guarantee” it will not gain support from all Kent MPs.